My hunting partner and I made a small blind at the beginning of the year after putting in tons of hours scouting. The blind turned into our number one spot. Heck other hunters realized this too so we let a couple of other groups use it instead of asking them to leave: they were set up before we got there at 6 am. So we go out Fri to freshen up the blind and run into another group who were there and they promptly drove off in their boat. Nothing said but when we went to the blind we found that 30 yards to either side of the clearly posted blind was seeded with bird seed. Nice!!!! So we found a new spot, and contacted the CO. As I posted in another forum this was the year of the jack@$%. Still shoot a limit on Sat but not they way we wanted to end our year. Has anyone else had this problem? Good luck to all.

we run into this problem all the time on our lake. do all the work then have someone in them. I ask them to leave, some of them start bitching saying they were there first. my point is if you didn't build it stay out. we are on an inland lake that we pay taxes on having lake front property, we know who lives on the lake and who duck hunts. the people that we ask to leave dont live on the lake. it really makes me mad when I find trash in our blinds and holes in it from being shot. it states right in the regs "any unoccupied blind on the great lakes or lake st. clair may be used by the first person to occupy it each day" . we aare over 100 miles from either one. I never hunt out of someone elses blind no matter where I hunt, I feel like it's sleeping with someone wife.

the blind "issue" is one that is argued often here and I agree with your frustrations since we spend tons of hours scouting before during and after season. I have never had someone bait my blind before. This is a new experience for me. They must have spent some time there too since there was bait 30 yards both ways and at least 5-10 yards deep. We have an idea who it is but I would love to have caught them in the act.

I am torn on the blind issue as I think people should be able to build them on public waters and have rights to use the blind and others that want to hunt that spot should be able to hunt it but should stay out of the blind or build their own. I have never had anyone try to hunt from mine and I would not hunt from someone elses permanent blind. BUT if someone builds a blind in the same spot I have been scouting or hunting for years I will still hunt that spot, Just not in their blind. If We are there before they are we will set up our spread and hunt from the marsh or from the boat blind and if they show up they will have to hunt elseware. just because you built a blind does not "save" that spot for you IMO.

Bottom line to me is that there are no "saved" spots.

NOW I do have an issue with the guys that just show up in a "new to them" area and park their butts in someones blind because they assume it is a good spot and have done no scouting on their own. In that case they are just being DB's and should be run out of the marsh.

I think MI should change the law so there are no permanent blinds on public land, since the large majority of blinds are already improperly marked and are therefore illegal for anyone to hunt from them.

Without perm. blinds the lakes would look nicer, lazy guys would stick to deer hunting, and those 'new to the spot' guys would be up the creek without a paddle

shoot-n-goose wrote:I think MI should change the law so there are no permanent blinds on public land, since the large majority of blinds are already improperly marked and are therefore illegal for anyone to hunt from them.

Without perm. blinds the lakes would look nicer, lazy guys would stick to deer hunting, and those 'new to the spot' guys would be up the creek without a paddle

Cant agree more, it would end all this tension between hunters.Or, IL law states that "anyone can use a blind of public land 1/2 hour prior to shooting hour". Even if builder shows up any time of the day, if your sitting in it, it is yours to use. So you sit in your boat in front of a blind you want to use, at the 1/2 prior mark, you start setting up and it is yours.

It's not just a duck boat, it is a tatical platform for opportunity- weedwacker 101

Preserve game and hunt with a trained dog- NAVHDA

"In looking back thru his posts over there he kind of thinks of himself as the zen of all things fowl."

Yup, i agree, i dont like blinds either, but the baiting is an all together different issue. Coulda used it to draw in birds or hose you so you couldnt legally hunt there. Sad either way. Thats why i like to slip into areas and leave them as undisturbed as possible. If you do your scouting and know where the birds are, youll get yours. No need to build a blind and put a beacon on it for others who dont put in the work.

My focus for the post was bait, not blinds but no big deal. Our blind is not the gawdy box blinds but a small three post blind tucked into natural cover, with the proper identification and removed before the end of the season. Sorry if you guys see blinds year round but bnot all hunters do this so I don't want to be compared to a "marsh turd". We cannot get the boat into the spot and as I said I could care less if someone wants to hunt it. I do disagree with the previous posts about saving the spot since my partner and I show up a minimum of 1 1/2 before legal shooting light so we beat most people. The Sat of the late season we were at our blind by 4:30 am and not 7:05 because we "saved" the spot. We had other people find the blind because we shot birds out of the spot/ not the blind. I don't want this to turn into blind vs no blind agrument since the law will not change. I am just surprised by baiting. I have hunted with great guys in Saginaw Bay for almost 20 years and they have never talked about this issue. I have hunted in our area for almost 10 years and never saw this before. Baiting is bad for everyone all around. We lost our spot and those that may want to use it will get into trouble for what someone else did. Just sad. We were lucky to see the seed Friday vs. showing up in the dark on Sat and possibly getting into trouble for something we did not do. Thanks and good luck next year.

Frankly, I would be more leaning towards you/someone with that blind, made someone mad in the area.

And the seed/baiting was only there so they could call the CO on you and get you in trouble.

Was wittness to you twice in the UP of Michigan aprox 10 years ago on Indian Lake. The local home owners ended up being the guilty (not all a hand full) party.

They did not like all the shooting at the north end of lake, so some go together and would ride out at night with a couple hundred pounds of corn, spread it around the entire area (shallow water) and then next day call the CO and make a claim of baiting.

We were checked and were aprox 1/2 mile away from the "baiting area", two of our ducks had corn in thier craw. CO took pictures and then told us what was going on. Next morning, you would have thought we were at a murder scene, blue and red lights flashing all over the lake and boat ramps!!!

Hunted same lake opener the next year, never had any issue or saw/heared anything further.

It's not just a duck boat, it is a tatical platform for opportunity- weedwacker 101

Preserve game and hunt with a trained dog- NAVHDA

"In looking back thru his posts over there he kind of thinks of himself as the zen of all things fowl."

Weedwacker wrote:Frankly, I would be more leaning towards you/someone with that blind, made someone mad in the area.

And the seed/baiting was only there so they could call the CO on you and get you in trouble.

Was wittness to you twice in the UP of Michigan aprox 10 years ago on Indian Lake. The local home owners ended up being the guilty (not all a hand full) party.

They did not like all the shooting at the north end of lake, so some go together and would ride out at night with a couple hundred pounds of corn, spread it around the entire area (shallow water) and then next day call the CO and make a claim of baiting.

We were checked and were aprox 1/2 mile away from the "baiting area", two of our ducks had corn in thier craw. CO took pictures and then told us what was going on. Next morning, you would have thought we were at a murder scene, blue and red lights flashing all over the lake and boat ramps!!!

Hunted same lake opener the next year, never had any issue or saw/heared anything further.

That was my point exactly. Someone knew the blind was there and that it was a good spot. Wanted you outta there and put bait down. Possibly to get you in trouble or to just get you outta the area.

I also heard a few yearsw back that 2 CO's were found to put bait near waterfowl hunters blinds. The CO's would show up the next morning and write tickets.I am not sure if it is true but it made me think twice at all my spots this year. Which is too bad because I just want to hunt. Not look thru the water for birdseed.

Joshua wrote:I also heard a few yearsw back that 2 CO's were found to put bait near waterfowl hunters blinds. The CO's would show up the next morning and write tickets.I am not sure if it is true but it made me think twice at all my spots this year. Which is too bad because I just want to hunt. Not look thru the water for birdseed.

I have never run into a CO that wanted to go to jail for intrapment, The ones I have met love their jobs and enjoy hunting themselves. Not saying it is not possible for there to be crooked Law enforcement officers, but It would have been kind of interesting if they were the only 2 catching baiters and all the accused had the same story.

Joshua wrote:I also heard a few yearsw back that 2 CO's were found to put bait near waterfowl hunters blinds. The CO's would show up the next morning and write tickets.I am not sure if it is true but it made me think twice at all my spots this year. Which is too bad because I just want to hunt. Not look thru the water for birdseed.

-----------------Not sure of that, but a diff spin I ran into this past year, BIRD LOVERS went out and put BIRD FEEDERS up along two areas I have hunted in the past. Of course the feed drops on the ground and water and as fall came around, they increase the volume or trips (never saw them there during weekends) and grain, seed hull were all over the place!!

They knew what they where doing, no one goes into a nasty area and puts up bird feeders so they can watch the birds!! They were no were near a home or cottage!!!

It's not just a duck boat, it is a tatical platform for opportunity- weedwacker 101

Preserve game and hunt with a trained dog- NAVHDA

"In looking back thru his posts over there he kind of thinks of himself as the zen of all things fowl."